Winston wrote:
.....the dentist told me if he were me, he would not replace the mercury fillings at all. So he advised against it. He argued that no credible scientific journal has published any papers concluding that mercury dental amalgams are unsafe or toxic.
.....
I have another question. My mom has silver fillings too, but she claims they are iron fillings, not mercury. Is there such a thing? If so, how can you tell the difference?

In Japan we share the opinion of this dentist, there is no scientific proof that dental amalgam is unsafe when used for filling teeth of adults.
However opinion is divided in case of children and pregnant women etc.

In Japan dental amalgam is outdated. It's about material used for filling teeth in the past. In Japan since over 30 years other better materials were developed for repairing teeth, also diagnosis and tools were improved like drills, X-ray, etc. Dental treatment is quite different now and 30 years ago.

As dental amalgam is not used anymore - but not outlawed - people in Japan with amalgam fillings of their teeth are getting less and less, amalgam filling was widely used for teeth of millions of people and it is not possible therefore to make it disappear from one day to the other.

There are various dental amalgam types in use, but as far as I know, they always contain about 50 percent mercury and 50 percent other materials, like copper, tin, silver...

Maybe your mother is using metal fillings (stainless I guess) which look very similar to dental amalgam fillings.
Such fillings have to be prepared in advance, the procedure is similar to a metal crown but will only cover a part of the tooth, fixed usually in the center of damaged M-teeth.

I wouldn't worry much about the old fillings -most of the mercury has already left those teeth --Be careful of the new ones though....I would try to get a safe filling if you can ..

There's admittedly a minute amount of mercury released into the system from dental fillings....but it's also a well known fact that these heavy metals have no place in the body whatsoever AND a lot of the mercury dissipates out of the filling after 10 years ... The mercury amalgam content of an older filling is NOT the same as when the filling was first placed....So where did the mercury go? The answer is right smack into your most sensitive organs.... via the action of heat, saliva and chewing - Brain, kidneys, liver etc etc Consider your BRAIN is only inches away from your oral cavity...Dentists and their defacto unions (ADA) make a TON of money every year doing what they're doing and they're not going to jeopardize their comfort nor lavish income levels by painting anything other than a rosy picture of their practices. The articles published in their journals reflect only the most conservative and orthodox beliefs - studies that refute the mainstream are not published- the same is true for mainstream medicine....comes down to money, turf and power. Power requires control...
Google heavy metal toxicity and alzheimers - there is a definite correlation with heavy metals and all types of pathology. You really don't want to put too much of this kind of stuff into your mouth if you can avoid it. Why take a chance ? For what ?? And these metals -once lodged into your organs- are extremely hard to get out...unless you go through a chelation protocol with experienced naturopathic practioner. They accumulate over time and place a toxic load that your body has to constantly fight...Once you get older and or have a compromised immune system you're not going to have the same level of protection at the cellular level and you're going to be more susceptible to whatever opportunistic ailment comes your way. Dentists are used to looking as patients as walking breathing apendages of their goldmine oral cavities- and don't treat the whole patient systemically - can tend to be quite ignorant and are not trained in this manner.
It is very hard to prove convincingly that one toxic load leads to disease over a lifetime. Because it would be extremely difficult, costly and impracticable to set up such a trial And that's one of the reasons dentists and their unions still get away with putting this crap in your mouth. Since there's no concrete evidence linking exposure to one extremely toxic substance over a long period of time to disease it must be OK ....Are you convinced ? Sounds like bullshit to me...Look at the evidence.....Where you find aluminum, mercury and other heavy metals in the brain you find dementia and alzheimers.....Another mercury filling ? You want to roll the dice on your brain? Dentist says it's safe does he? Look at dental xrays....30 years ago we were getting about 10x times the dose that we do now currently. But now it is acknowledged that there is and was no safe dose of ionizing radiation...If it is harmful now it was harmful then but they just didn't admit it at the time. Look at cigarettes ....there is a large magazine advertisement from the 40s that touted one cigarette brand as the "Doctor's Choice" Took about 80 years to finally admit everything they already suspected and sometimes knew...Not to worry? "You get more mercury in chicken" Oh...OK so mercury fillings must be OK? Yeah...You eat chicken three times a day/7 days a week?? Guess what -- Maybe there really shouldn't be any mercury in chicken in the first place either ...lol ...

You do realize that we make more money by removing the fillings and placing new ones, right? There's entire rackets of "holistic" dentists that promise to remove your amalgam fillings in way that minimizes mercury exposure during the procedure (which they, themselves, will till you exceeds the lifetime exposure you'd get from a filling in a single dose). This mercury minimizing technique will of course come at an added cost, usually in the hundreds of dollars per tooth.

I always find it amusing how people insist only the mainstream physicians are after your money, when the "holistic" ones are also only willing to help you for a fee, and one that often exceeds that of mainstream medical treatment.

As to the ridiculous comment about a human's consciousness being different than a fish, you totally missed the point- I was stating that when you eat a fish that is high in the food chain, it contains more mercury than you are exposed to by a filling in a five week period. So, basically, if you were to consume 11 servings of tuna in a year, you would be exposed to more mercury than you would by a filling. If you're concerned about mercury, you are best to avoid its most potent reservoirs, among them large fish. Fish that are lower in the food chain, such as sardines, anchovies, and river species, such as wild salmon, tend to be far, far lower in mercury content.

Personally, I wouldn't get a mercury filling if it were a new filling- why do so when you have an alternative- but for a filling that is already in place, you're best off leaving it for the reasons I've stated above.

Yes, you certainly can. I had mine done at Thantakit Dental in Bangkok. They're one of the best so didn't think twice in having my mercury removal with them. They do cater to expats and communication, as well as my experience were very much pleasant.

Wow check out this segment of 60 Minutes about the hazards of mercury fillings. It shows how 3 women, all sincere and down to earth, who had serious illnesses and dehabilitating diseases, suddenly got cured or reversed their symptoms long term after having their mercury amalgams removed. This looks like its from the 80s so I guess journalism was better back then.

HouseMD, how do you explain this? Its very compelling. Especially the testimonials of the three ladies.

"It takes far less effort to find and move to the society that has what you want than it does to try to reconstruct an existing society to match your standards." - Harry Browne, How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World

"It takes far less effort to find and move to the society that has what you want than it does to try to reconstruct an existing society to match your standards." - Harry Browne, How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World

Heres another documentary report from another mainstream media outlet. This BBC documentary on the hazards of mercury fillings is very informative and disturbing. Many experts are interviewed, including the government which denies it all. The implications are disturbing because it means that millions of people, including me, have been suffering health problems and brain damage from this for years and never knew the real cause. We ought to sue the dentists and manufacturers of amalgam and receive lots of money in compensation.

This is a must see for anyone with dental amalgams. Btw all silver fillings contain 50 percent mercury, in case you guys thought they were different.

HouseMD should see this. It will make him realize he was wrong and badly misinformed and tricked by his beloved establishment.

"It takes far less effort to find and move to the society that has what you want than it does to try to reconstruct an existing society to match your standards." - Harry Browne, How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World

HouseMD wrote:You do realize that we make more money by removing the fillings and placing new ones, right? There's entire rackets of "holistic" dentists that promise to remove your amalgam fillings in way that minimizes mercury exposure during the procedure (which they, themselves, will till you exceeds the lifetime exposure you'd get from a filling in a single dose). This mercury minimizing technique will of course come at an added cost, usually in the hundreds of dollars per tooth.

I've heard this, too. The mercury in a filling may be bad for you, but if removing it is worth, then your just stuck. One day, the tooth may come out when you are old and you will be free of it. I wonder if there is some coating that minimizes exposure.

The video from 60 minutes that shows that someone's mouth had more dangerous mercury vapor than is allowed in a house is concerning. If that were true, would it really be worse to remove the filling?

I do not think dentists are rubbing their hands together laughing and saying, "Bwahahahaha! We are poisoning people with these fillings." My understanding is that the qualities of mercury as a metal cause it to work well to fill teeth. Is gold just as good? It is more expensive.

As to the ridiculous comment about a human's consciousness being different than a fish, you totally missed the point- I was stating that when you eat a fish that is high in the food chain, it contains more mercury than you are exposed to by a filling in a five week period. So, basically, if you were to consume 11 servings of tuna in a year, you would be exposed to more mercury than you would by a filling. If you're concerned about mercury, you are best to avoid its most potent reservoirs, among them large fish. Fish that are lower in the food chain, such as sardines, anchovies, and river species, such as wild salmon, tend to be far, far lower in mercury content.

Do practicing medical doctors actually read academic research on topics like this? Or is that mainly for MDs who go on specialize in academic medical research, maybe pick up a PhD in some other sub-field or something along those lines?

Have you read research on the effects of mercury? Is it worth it to encourage abstaining from ocean fish? Fish have good nutrients in them, too, of course.

I think your large-fish versus small fish conclusion may be neglecting to consider where the particular type of fish likes to live. If it is a deep sea fish that eats smaller deep water fish that live off of plankton, might it not have lower mercury content than fish that feed along reefs or other shallower areas?

Personally, I wouldn't get a mercury filling if it were a new filling- why do so when you have an alternative- but for a filling that is already in place, you're best off leaving it for the reasons I've stated above.

That's what I'm thinking. I have a mercury filling I got probably when I was about 12 years old, and I think one more white filling I got in my early 20's. If I got a new one, I'd go for white or gold, probably. But it does not sound worth it to get rid of the mercury. Is there an alternative to put a coating on the mercury? Would that keep it from absorbing in, or would it absorb into the body through the tooth?

As to the ridiculous comment about a human's consciousness being different than a fish, you totally missed the point- I was stating that when you eat a fish that is high in the food chain, it contains more mercury than you are exposed to by a filling in a five week period. So, basically, if you were to consume 11 servings of tuna in a year, you would be exposed to more mercury than you would by a filling. If you're concerned about mercury, you are best to avoid its most potent reservoirs, among them large fish. Fish that are lower in the food chain, such as sardines, anchovies, and river species, such as wild salmon, tend to be far, far lower in mercury content.

Thats not really true HouseMD. Thats a myth. Listen to this expert below debunk the myth that tuna has more mercury in it than dental amalgam fillings. You really need to get your info from unbiased objective sources man, not government controlled sources.

"It takes far less effort to find and move to the society that has what you want than it does to try to reconstruct an existing society to match your standards." - Harry Browne, How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World

Theres a new documentary out now about the dangers of mercury dental fillings. It features experts and three women campaigning for the FDA to ban mercury fillings. Its called Evidence of Harm. More info about it here: http://www.evidence-of-harm.com

Here are the trailers below. Notice how passionate the Stacy woman in it is, who herself is a major media reporter. Wow. What she says on camera will make your blood boil. Imagine her saying that to HouseMDs face. Lol. That would be priceless. Lol

"It takes far less effort to find and move to the society that has what you want than it does to try to reconstruct an existing society to match your standards." - Harry Browne, How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World

Check this out for those of you afraid of mercury poisoning. Chlorella, a rich green algae, detoxes you from heavy metals like mercury, lead or aluminum. And it contains enough amino acids to form a complete protein. It also contains more protein than beef and chicken combined. And is very popular in Japan for promoting longetivity. So if you have mercury teeth fillings, it helps remove mercury from your body. See below.

"It takes far less effort to find and move to the society that has what you want than it does to try to reconstruct an existing society to match your standards." - Harry Browne, How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World